Again recently, I have had conversations with lots of successful professional people who have said they dislike networking, know they don’t get enough from it and know they need to work on their skills. These are the people who acknowledge how essential it is to both their personal career success and that of their organisation. Candidly this is because as people [...]

We've all been there, 'stuck' with someone at networking, maybe it's just time to move on, perhaps talking to them is like getting blood out of a stone or perhaps you just can't stop them talking at you or, you just need a drink or bathroom visit. The temptation is to make an excuse, a need for the bathroom, a drink [...]

Picture a networking event, there is usually a sea of dark clothing… When we go to an event, there is a lot to think about such as goals and how to integrate into the room but the most important thing is that you are positively memorable to those you meet. It is no good having a great conversation at an event, [...]

Small talk, a phrase dreaded by many as it usually conjures up pictures of an awkward situation where you have to make conversation with someone you don't know at all or don't know well. In reality, it might not just be awkward situations when it is necessary but situations that become awkward if you find 'small talk' challenging. Situations when it [...]

There's been a lot of comment on Theresa May's shoes and indeed a lot of comment on how much comment there has been. Whilst it is unfair how much comment women get regarding their appearance versus men, certainly as a lot of it is criticism, surely there is an advantage to be gained? The networking event I was at recently is [...]

Most of us have a pile of business cards that we've collected from networking and other meetings, whether the pile is in the desk drawer, in a folder or scattered across various locations. A clear out of my office at the weekend brought my own advice to the fore. I found a pile of business cards in a tray, in addition [...]

How do you feel about networking? If you are in the significant majority that don't love it then what is it you dislike about it? Most people, if they are really honest, dislike it because you usually need to find people to talk to and make conversation. Of course, the underlying fear of these elements is likely to be that we'll [...]

When you come away from networking who do you follow-up with? I am hoping it’s someone…! A potential client, a potential collaborator, someone you just liked? How important is it to you that you ‘like’ someone in order to follow-up? If I’m realistic, if it’s a good potential client, you probably care far less about whether or how much you ‘like’ [...]

This could be true for lots of things in life but in this circumstance I am talking about networking. If you think about it, we are building our personal network our whole lives - those we meet at school, university, parties. However, how much thought do you give to building your professional network? I encounter and work with professionals at varying [...]

Last week’s article (click here to access it) was about the value and importance of networking even when you work in a larger organisation. I wanted to follow that up with a real life example that I heard about last week when I was facilitating some breakout sessions as part of my associate role with ‘Voice at the Table’ at a [...]